The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-10
4 PROTEST FOR IRELAND
AGAINST THE CRIMES ACT WITH
VIII CHI SHE Is THREATENED.
Proposal for a Meeting Of ireland
Friends to Be Held Ia the
Land League Hall.
To the Editor of the Appeal

iCoHfS tuo power 10 proChlm mar I'll
Law in any part OF Ireland. / allud
to the much discussed coercion bill
upon the success of which the preser
minority has staked its exis,enct
while it has left the land bill to tax
its chances. 1t is only necessary /
recall f9w of the prov sions of thi
"cEmes bill" to zee why it has prc
voked such universal condemnation
among disinterested people the wor,,
over 1t grants the resident mags
trate, a Glass having often bat liItl
knowledge of law, power to examin,
witnesses on oath, even when no per
sors are charged with crime; and i
certainly requ res no great amount o
imagination 10 see that such power
placed in such hands, will often be
used in most inquisitorial and op
prssive manner.
Persons charged with criminal IN.
spiracy, boycltting and eimLal
offences, are denied a trial by jury, and
may be imprisoned for not more than
Elk months by the magistrate, if he
finds them guilty while those parsors
who stand charged with graver
aggravated crimes of violence, may be
denied q trial by their fellow citiz ms
in the locality where the offepse is
charged to have been committed, in
which event they are 10 be trans.
ported to London 10 DO tired before an
English jury.
All authorities agree that the fall in
the prices OF agricultural produce has
made it impossible for many to pay
the rents charged today in Ireland,
and the work of the courts orga lizei
to ascertain what WAS proper rental
is necessarily 30 slow that many are
unable to obtain the benefit of such
an assessment OF rental. Therefore,
tenants have Teen led to combine
among one snotE er TO prevent them
from bidding up land on themselves,
and to attempt to secure reduction OF
rent. If pacti', his is quite as legiti.
mate a purpose for association as one
can we'll conceive of. II is similar 10
trades union, wheel or a farmers
alliance. Yet for doing this Irish ter
ants will be subject to elk months' i'm
prisonment, at the will of The maeis-
trate, who ia often helandlord himself,
his dependent or friend. Besides,
from what we know of the character
OF many landlords and magistrates, we
are led to believe that this law will be
30 used as to mske it equivalent 10 re-
vival OF imprisonment for debt; tea
ants in arrears will no longer have
eviction alone to fear, but imprison.
ment ALEC. Then there is no limit of |
time fixed for the operation OF the |
bill. Mr.. Gladstone, referring to this
feature, is reported to have made use of
the following words in the Houte of
Commons: "Aa to the permanent
duration of the bill, tie proposals
make ones blood boil"
This measure is introduced at time
OF profound peace in Ireland, when
fewer crimes are committed there, in
proportion, than in England. Every
attempt on the part OF ministers to JUS
tfy the need OF this bill has met with
ignomiDious failure, and all attempt to
do 30 has at last been abandoned, the
only hope OF the Government being
now in the blindness and sheep.like
qualities of lis followers.
Mr.. Gladstone declares that to sane
ton such change in the criminal law
for the reasons offered would be 'to
commit the M st formidable breach of
trust that a popular assemb y could
that "the government
could have devised nothing more like
ly to aggravats every exciting evil"
that with this coercion bi the pros
pect OF Cancellation has vanished into
thin air." aud finally that it is the
worst, most insulting, most causeless
bill ever submitted to PArlia-
ment.
Archbishop Croke, Bishop Nulty
and host OF other clerpymen in
England as we'll IS in Ireland, P. otset-
mt al we'll IS Catholic, rs-echo this
entiment Of entire hostility to the
dill in all it's parts and clauses.
The Methodist Times says: "The co.
,rcion bill practically abolishes free
lom Of speech, the liberty Of the
,ress, the right Of aIsocis ion for po-
ltical purposes and t,ial by jury. The '
most sacred rights of men are placed
It tbs mercy of resident magistrates, \
Who are often incompetent, generally
xtreme political psrtisaus, and always
he creatures of the government, be-
ny removable at pleasure" A il
esoiution signed by the venerable
rchblshop Of Ca;hel alleges that the v
ill "can hardly fail to provoke q
ecret combinations and anarchy, and II
7hen we remember how immensely a
be hands of ministers would be G
trengthened by quasi-rebellion in a
reland, we may we'll ask ourselves "
'hether it may not be that which thew {,
re laboring for. If 30 they are on the d
ght road. believe that it is this v
ar alone which could have induced ii
liberal leaders to rsf set as they re. a
unity did upon the Speaker when he
nforced the cloture rule in most
Unprecedented aud tyrannical man B
Or. Nothing has let such q light in RI
pom the heated condition of British 8,
olitics as this one act, which in itself d
instituted revolution. 81
The Tories and Liberal Unionists be
ave large majority in Parliament, pr
i'd this bill will pass if they remain di
nited In its support. The hope ia br
lat many Liberal Unionists, who are m
lily half hearted in their suppo of So
10 measure, may be prevailed upon tn
vote against it on the third reading. We
ID either secure its defeat or 80 lessen on
q government ma GRITTY as to frighten tai
% Ministers into leaving the more Gu
,pressive provisions of the bill IN ex
forced. An important step toward tel
curing this conversion is to show the no
horrence in which the civiliz I'D
orld holds this bill. A majority of
Q people OF Great Britain oppose the an
easure, and from nearly every city te,
the United States the voice of great hr,
ass meetings has arisen, proclsiming tor
no uncertain tones the accumulation in,
which our people hold it, and from WI
NADIA and Australia the same cry is II
ard. g.,
Che recent organ zation of a branch an,
the National League in this city On,
Il give us an opportunity of enter ri,
! our protest against this measure. do,
Q league holds a meeting each M
)ndav avepinO at e o'clock in the Try